Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! There is never a bad time to be thankful and enjoy food (even if you aren’t in the U.S. for this specific holiday)! If you have not yet had your fill of Turkey Day delicacies, perhaps some pumpkin will tantalize… and not that stuff in the can, either:

I grew the sugar pumpkin variety this year to a fair level of success. I may have to expand to the additional variety he mentions, as well! I have used pumpkin as a base for a risotto- it can be so much more than dessert… the recipes abound (for slow cookers and more.) And who can forget the not-quite-so-unexpected bonus of toasted pumpkin seeds- sweet or savory? (After saving some to plant for next year, of course.) I enjoyed ours fresh from the oven with a little salt. (Parchment paper was a good tip to keep them from sticking/burning and to cut the fat.)

As I’m writing this, my wife and I are finishing up applesauce and baking butternut squash for butternut squash risotto for Thanksgiving. Risotto is one of my favorite thing to make, given that the recipe is so versatile with add-in ingredients. I especially enjoyed my mother-in-law’s response upon tasting it- “How can we make our rice taste like this?” I will often make it with portabellas (with some modifications), but this version with butternut squash is another of my favorites. I love the flavor of butternut squash, as it can savory or slightly sweet, depending on how it’s made. I have made this recipe previously, to excellent results. It doesn’t call for other herbs or spices other than salt and pepper, but it can easily be adjusted. I use a little cinnamon and nutmeg to add a little spice to the recipe. Butternut squash risotto is a nice alternative to cheesy potatoes (though I love cheesy potatoes, as well!) and adds in an extra vegetable with the starch. Happy Thanksgiving!